There has always been a bit of dissension within environmental movements as to the relevance or usefulness of small changes. Those involved in large movements or massive changes requiring essentially leaving the mainstream of society have been known to turn their noses up at things like recycling or LED lights. In both cases, though, I would say we have seen a massive shift where, at least in the US, these are now nearly universal practices, and that does make a significant difference. So, I have decided to start a series called Little Change, Big Difference detailing some things you can easily do right now to reduce your footprint that can actually make a big difference, especially on a larger cultural scale.
So here we go. Babies are enormous resource hogs. At least that’s the case in the US. You “need” so many different things for babies that people have to have parties and subject themselves to awful games just to be able to afford them. I think almost any parent can tell you that you don’t need probably ¾ of that crap. And that is bad enough. So. Much. Wasted. Plastic!
No one needs that much stuff! Also, the serious gendering. Ugh. Source
However, nothing even comes close to disposable diapers.They are an absolute environmental nightmare. Do you know how long it takes a disposable diaper to biodegrade? Me neither. No one does. The first ones ever made still haven’t broken down. Guesses range from 200 - 500 years, and that’s in ideal conditions, which a landfill is not. So what’s in those things anyway? Of course their are natural ones made of paper and cotton, some are even labeled biodegradable or compostable. I always wonder about that label, though. Everything is biodegradable. It’s a matter of how long it takes. Anyway. Most of them are plastic with cotton (bleached, of course) and these little gel beads that absorb liquid. We’ll talk more about those disgusting things later. Potentially the worst bit is what the babies deposit into the diapers. If you read the fine print on diaper packages, you will find you are actually supposed to dump the poop from the diaper into the toilet. Of course most people don’t even know that, and all that ends up in a landfill. Human feces wrapped in gel, bleached cotton, and plastic sitting in a landfill for at least 200 years. Gross. There’s a reason we developed sewage treatment systems. Composting toilets are even better, but sitting in a diaper in a landfill is definitely the bottom of the barrel in how to properly dispose of feces.
And the sheer numbers are absolutely staggering. Every single baby goes through somewhere in the neighborhood of 7000 diapers over the course of their diapering career. Above is a charming visual of just one year's worth before being filled, but the reality of them sitting dirty, spread throughout a landfill mixed in with the rest of the mess of stuff we throw away is so much worse, leaching whatever may be in the poop and of course the chemicals in the diaper itself into the ground. So much plastic. So much bleached cotton and paper. So many gross little gel beads. About those beads. Sodium polyacrylate. It’s a petroleum based super absorbent polymer. It’s the stuff that was banned from tampons because it caused toxic shock syndrome. It can also cause skin irritations and allergic reactions. And for those of you who may be lucky enough to have one of those babies that really loves tearing diapers from their body, should that diaper get ripped open, that stuff is disgusting and very difficult to clean up, especially on carpet. I cared for an elder who passionately hated his diapers, and I awoke to this lovely vision many mornings. And while we are talking about toxins, it’s notable to mention two more big monsters. Dioxin, a by-product of paper bleaching is released into the environment during the bleaching process and also remains in the bleached paper. It is one of the most carcinogenic substances known to man. The other big offender is Tributyl-tin, which is a known hormone disrupter. Here's a lot more facts about disposables from the Real Diaper Association
Now that we are super clear on how dangerous disposables are, let’s talk about your options. Like so many things in the eco-world, the myth of the difficulty is way exaggerated. My mom used cloth because my brother was allergic, and she swears that folding up flat diapers using magical mommy origami and closing that up with pins was also not hard, but thankfully, it is not even that hard anymore. Their are loads of different options now, and none of them require pins. I can change a cloth diaper as fast or faster than a disposable one. You will also save a lot of money. Laundering is not complicated. I used to do a load twice a week, and I had two in diapers at the same time. Rinse, wash, rinse, rinse. I never used bleach or any kind of harsh detergents. Everything I used was all natural. If this grosses you out, try a diaper service. This will cost you about the same as disposables, and it’s even easier than disposables because your service will bring clean diapers to your door every single week. You don’t even have to leave your house. I used to own a diaper service, and even then I used no bleach or harsh detergents. I used a super pure form of oxy cleaner and the simplest detergent I have ever found. Not all services are like that though, so ask questions. One of the most important things to realize with laundering is that sanitation happens from water temperature, not bleach. Bleach has very weak sanitizing properties on fabric, whereas 170 degree water does a pretty awesome job of sanitizing. Bleach’s only purpose is stain removal, which I accomplished quite nicely with the oxy cleaner. Even though the services drive around to pick up and deliver, they are still lower footprint than washing your own because those diapers are used for multiple babies and washed in economies of scale. When the diapers get a few stains, depending on the service, they may be used for a discount service, sold at a very discounted price to either moms looking for cheap diapers or car washes looking for the best rags on earth, or donated to charitable organizations. I closed the service more than three years ago and just tossed the last rag that was finally shredded beyond use a couple weeks ago.
Cloth diapers really are a very simple change, especially if you use a diaper service. And it’s a tremendous difference. 27 billion disposable diapers go to the landfill every year in the US alone. All the diapers I bought for my first lasted through my second, so they’re good for hundreds of uses. Healthier baby, healthier planet, fatter wallet! I’m not saying people are bad for using disposable diapers. Parenting is hard, and we all have to do what we have to do in order to make it through. I used more than a few disposables over the years, and many of my friends used only disposables. I do, however, want to make sure everyone is aware that cloth diapering is really not as hard as people make it out to be, and disposables are far more damaging to both the environment and baby’s health than most people realize. At least now you can make an informed decision!
In every single post of this series I’m also going to talk about solar. There are two reasons for this. One is that I work in solar, so more people going solar in the US, Canada, and Australia means more food on our table and maybe even a vacation! The other reason is people still believe it is hard to go solar. Or prohibitively expensive. Neither of those things are true! Like cloth diapers, going solar is way easier than people realize. You don’t have to change all your appliances or get rid of half your electronics. Solar is way more efficient than it once was, and by going with a grid tied system, you are ensured of seamless operation. Then, in a couple years when battery prices fall the way solar panels have, you can buy a big battery bank and completely divorce your utility company. Until then, the monthly payment for your solar system will be similar or less than what you’re currently paying for dirty coal. Clean, happy sunshine for the same price or less. It’s a good deal. It requires no change in your lifestyle and little to no change in your expenses. I think we can all agree that getting off coal and natural gas will make a big difference.
As always, all pics are mine or pixabay unless otherwise noted.
I’m a passenger on the 
